Quick release attachment for vise grip pliers



Nov. 2'7, 195] M. EISENBERG QUICK {(ELEASE ATTACHMENT FOR VISE GRIPPLIERS Filed April 5, 1945 INVENTOR. MURRAY Elssubc RG BY 5 mm PatentedNov. 27, 1951 UICK RELEASE ATTACHMENT FOR VISE Y 'GRIP runes MurrayEisenberg', New. York, Y.

'Application April 5, 1945', Serial N0.--586,667'

vvThisinvention relates to new and useful improvements in a vise grippliers. V f V .More. specifically, the present inventionproposes .theconstruction of an adjustable vise grip pliers or wrench of thesnap-lock type, having means for snapping'open thelocking, parts of thewrench...

Still further, it isproposed to provide a wrench as aforesaid, in whicht-he openingmeans is a pivoted cam thumb member adapted to force the twooperating handlesof the wrench apart and adapted to be automatically setwhen the two operatingv handles are pushed together into wrench lockingposition.

For further comprehension of the invention;

and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, and to the appendedclaims in which the various novel features of the invention are moreparticularly set forth. In the accompanying drawings forming amaterialpart of this disclosuref w -Fig. i is an elevation of a visegrippliers or wrench constructed in accordance with this invention, theparts being shown inwrench locked position. i Fig. 2 is a View, similarto Fig. 1, but having parts in section of the wrench, in unlocked oropen position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the cam'member of the wrench.

Fig. 4 is a view of the cam member taken from the left of Fig. -3. .v

Fig. 5 is a View, similar to Fig. 3, of a cam member constructed inaccordance with'a modification of this invention.

The present. invention involves an improvement of a snap-lock type ofadjustable vise grip pliers or'wrench. These wrenches are adapted to belocked'in gripping relation with a part to be worked on. In order to solook the wrench, the two operating handles of the Wrench are squeezedtogether by a persons hand. A personlwith a stron'ggrip can lock thewrench so that. it'is very diificult to get it open again, the openingmember !4.

shaped in crosssection, and a jaw member [2.

The jaw member I2 .is afserratedsolidibloclg welded to the handle H.-Opposed .to jawmem-v ber 12 for'coaction therewith is a jaw member I3-.Member I3 is a serrated solid blockwelded toqa member l4 .pivotallyconnected by av rivet 15 to handle H; An orificed lug-l6 depends fromtheA handle I], channel shaped in cross section, is pivotally. connected tothebottom of ,member lli by a pivot pin 18. A link. I9 ispivotallyconnect ed at one end'to the handle" bya pivot pin Zll and atthe otherend extends into the channel i-nterior.of.-handle I.l, ,t hisother end being-en'- larged so that it. is retained. in the channel butcan move longitudinally-thereof. t .l-Iandle l i hasanut l l welded inits lowerend, and an adjustment bolt 22 is threaded through this nut andextendsupwardlyto and engages the adjacent end of the link [9, formingan abutment for this link. A tension spring 23, connected at one end tolug it and'at the other end to; a lug 2 4.on handle ll tends to swingthejaws apartand holds link l9 down on bolt.22. I -The; wrench as thus fardescribed: is substantially conventional and its o'peration' is wellknown. Suffice it to say that'when' an object is to be gripped in thejaws. lZ'and l'3ftheh'andles l0 and I! are squeezed together, until atight grip is secured, the link l9 acts like a toggle; swingingovertoward. handle I! and firmlyholdj ing the jaws in lockedengagementwith the bb= ject gripped. To adjustithe wrench for differ-' entl sizeobjects, the bolt 22 is turned.

According to the present invention; a cain member. 25, best showninFig's. 3 and4; is mountedionfthepin ZB ZThe carn inember '25 is U-shapedfand is engaged aroundjtwo'sides of the.

handle l1. It has twocam surfaces 26 for cog action. with; the edges 21of handle 'I l, and a thumb piece 28. When thehandles' l l'an'd llfaresqueezed together, the camflsurfac'es contact-the edges 21 andare'fguided therebyg swinging the member 25 untilfthe wrench is' lockedthecam member then beingdisposedsothat the thumb pie'ceQZB extends,outwardlyaway from the n dle'll as is shown in'Fig. 1, the cam-surfacesat this time being in tight engagement with the edges 21. As the handlesare squeezed together, eventually the handle I! snaps over toward thehandle II and at the same time'the member 25 swings around to theposition shown in Fig. 1.

The cam member 25 operates as follows: When it is desired to open thewrench, it is only necessary to hold the wrench in one hand with thethumb on the thumb piece 28 and squeeze, thereby rotating the member 25about the pin 20. This rotation forces the cam surfaces against theedges 21 and pushes the handles apart, the cam surfaces finally actingto release the handles so i that they fly apart. The cam member 25,being pivoted on the pin at the top of the link H), can force thehandles apart with comparatively little effort compared with the effortneeded to pu h nd 'es apa t y r pping andpu ins their free ends. 1

While the cam member 25 has two cam surfaces, one for each edge 21, onlyone cam surface is needed. Such a member, indicated by the,

numeral 25', is shown in Fig. 5, the cam surface 26' being similar tothe corresponding surface of member 25. The other cam surface has beeneliminated by shortening that side'of theimember 25.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be an 'articulated'lever having one sectionpivotally connected to the pivotedj-aw, and another section operativelyconnected to the handle by adjustable pivot means, said articulatedlever beingmovable in one direction to lock the jaws, and a pivoted cam'element for camming engages ment with said handle to movethe articulatedlever in the reverse'direction to dnlock the jaws, saidlca'melementbeing carried on a medial pivot on said articulated leverpositioned to move away from the handle when the cam element is ac t d?H 2. A' tool of the I character described,v comprisin-g,ahandleprovide'd with a fixed jaw, a pivoted jawpivotally connected tothe handle, an articulated levenhaving at least one intermedie-ts P ot,said lev r be p rative y connected at one end to the handle by 1adjustable pivot means a dgc nne ed att re other end to the pivoted lawy pivot, means spaced from the pivot connecting the pivotedja'w and thehandle, the. articulated lever ,beingmovable in one direction" to lockthe jaws, and cam, means; swinging about an.,int,ermediate. pivot of aidarticulated lact co k t eiaws;

3.. Ida tool, the combination, including a hanpljovidedjwith afixed'jaw, a Ypivoted jaw, pivot,.niea snop ra ively connect n a d j togle nk ee'm a s, ss ondo ot ans ra may con heisaidt sle l a mea s andSaid pivoted. jaw; th rd'p ot means ,operatively onn ing, s dl ossl lnka e. [means and said an a id t g l linka e means, hi s m sb owa d sd-, a leto oc t s id ia ssa di ha dle said 'togsleflinkag, means beingprovided with comp em ntary gripping portions; to enable the tool to bemanipulated with one hand, cam means adapted to exert force between saidhandle and said toggle linkage means to unlock said jaws, fourth pivotmeans for said cam means disposed adjacent the forward portion of saidgripping portions to facilitate actuation of said cam means by the handwith which the tool is manipulated.

4. Vise-grip pliers of the character, described provided with a handleand articulated lever means movable in one direction with respect tosaid handle for locking the jaws thereof, said articulated lever meansbeing provided with a medial pivot including a pivot pin and a cam plateprovided with a bore to receive said pivot pin to position said camplate on said medial pivot for cammin-gengagement with an element otherthan said articulated lever means to urge the articulated lever means inthe other direction to unlock said jaws;

5. An attachment for a tool of the character described provided withjaws for gripping an article, a handle and an articulated lever movablein one direction with respect to the handle to lock the jaxvs thereof,said handle and said articulated lever being the operating elements ofthe tool, comprising a U-shaped stamping, the upstanding portions of thestamping forming ears for straddling one of the operating elements ofthe tool, means for pivotally mounting the stamping on one of saidoperating elements of the tool, at least one of the ears ofthe stampingforming a cam surface for operative engagement with the other operatingelement of the tool to urge the articulated lever in the other directionto unlock the jaws 6. An attachment for a wrench of the characterdescribed provided with jaws for gripping an article, a handle andtogglelinkage means having a medial pivot movable toward the handle to lockthe jaws of the wrench, comprising a U- shaped. stamping, the upstandingportions of the stamping forming ears for straddling an element of thetoggle linkage means, said ears "being pierced to receive a pivot pinpassing through the medial pivot. of the toggle linkage means, at leastone of the ears being shaped toprovide a cam surface for operativeengagement with the handle to move the toggle linkage means away fromthe handle to unlock the jaws.

MURRAY EISENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences areof record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES" PATENTS Number Name Date 5237,5152 Thompson Mar. 31, 1896952,079 Mclntire Mar; 15, I910 1,5l89 ,458 Petersenf Apr. 8, '19242,201,913 Petersen May 21;, 1940 2,327,368 Olson V Aug. 24', I9432,443,153 Wells e June 8, 1948 2,462,709. Ball Feb, 22, 1949 2,514,130Jones July 4, 1950

